The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-05-11
MIR. GRIFFIN'S COSTLY BLUNDER.
Secretary of State Griffin has committad

Mr. GR-ft1N - JUSTLY BLONDER.
Secretary of State Griffin has committed
a blunder which, for gross ignorance and
culpable carelessness, is without parallel.
We have received copy of the acts of
1887, duly bound, and bearing the Secre-
tary's signature. 1t is very small volume,
and its contents are very quickly ascer-
tanned. One would have supposed that
Mr.. Griffin had at least brains enough to
issue this volume properly, but it is evident
he hasn't. He seems to have supposed
that it would be sufficient to fill the book
with the acts of the General Assembly, and,
accordingly, he has not published an alb
stract of the receipts and disbursements of
the State Treasury as required by the Con-
stitution Or. s. 1881, Sec. 1867.
Mr.. Griffin claims to be lawyer, but it
is very clear that he is not familiar with the
Constitution of the State. The Supreme
Court has decided that constitutional pro-
visions are mandatory.
Now what are the consequences of Mr..
Grifin's idiocy? The laws can not be duly
circulated and published until the finan-
cial abstract is printed with them. Gov
ernor Gray may not, and we presume will
not, issue proclamation declaring that
the laws are duly published in this incom-
plete volume which Mr.. Griffin is scatter
ing over the face of the State. Mr.. Griffin
will now have to reprint the 1000 copies
authorized by law, or recall those he has
sent out and add the abstract. This will cost
~
mines to recall the copies he has distributed,
the backs will have to be torn off and the
abstract stitched in, and the index cor
rected. This will cost great deal of
money.
We believe no State officer has ever be-
fore shown such deplorable and mischiev-
GUS incompetence. There can be no excuse
for such egregieus ignorance of the State
Constitution on the part of a State officer
sworn to obey it. Mr.. Griffin has not had
the discretion to read even so much of it
as relates to the administration of his own
Office. And this costly blunder is not
the only one Mr.. Griffin has made.
1t is one of series. He
has demonstrated thoroughly his inca
pacity. Under the previous Democratic
management of the Office its business was
conducted in an orderly way, but under the
Republican Mr.. Griffin it is miserably
managed, and it is almost impossible to
find any papers or get any information
from the Office. The difference in the ad-
ministration since a Republican took
charge is manifest, to the utter disgust of
all who have any business with the Office.
Mr.. Grifin's continuous display of in
competence has reached climax in the
omission of the financial abstract from the
volume of the acts. If he had even had tn >
sense to examine any of the previously
published volumes he would have seen
that the abstract was a necessary part of it.
Mr.. Grifin's time since his induction ap-
pears to have been devoted mainly to
schemes having as their object the injury
of the credit of other State officials who
have happened to be Democrats. In every
instance he has been caught and made to
submit practical apology. Possibly it Is
better for the interests of the State at
large that he should divert himself in this
way, for the chances are that the more as
siduously he may exert himself to perform
the duties of Secretary Of State the worse it
will be for the State.
There is one small consolation, however,
four months Of Mr.. Griffin's term have ex-
pired.